Carpet-sweeper



Patented Dec. 27, |898.

C. KING.

CARPET SWEEPER.

(Application filed May 1'?, 189B.\

(No Model.)

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CHARLES KING, OF GRAND RAPIDS,

PATENT OFFICE.

MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONF-HALF TO VALTER E. MOORE, OF SAME PLACE.

CARPET-SWEEPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,870, dated December27, 1898.

Application filed May1'7,1898. Serial No. 680,976x (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES KING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carpet-Sweepers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in carpet-sweepers having automaticpan action; and its objects are, rst, to insure a positive uniform panaction from the motion of the handle of the sweeper; second, to sosupport the pans for automatic action that each pan is acted uponindependent ofthe other; third, to support the pans each independent ofthe case upon a single actuating-bar and a single actuating-spring ateach end of the pan; fourth, to provide an auxiliary means of carryingthe pans nearer the floor or carpet than they can approach by theautomatic action from the handle; ifth, to insure uniform movement atboth ends of the pan, and, sixth, to provide against the necessity ofusingstaples, ttc., to support the auxiliaryadjustingsprings in thecase. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a sectional perspective `ofmy sweeper on the line a; of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation ofthe same on the line y y of Fig. 3; and Fig. 3 is a partial endelevation of the same, showing the position in outline of the auxiliaryadjusting spring or rod that supports the wheels.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throu ghout the severalviews.

A represents the sweeper-case.

B is the dust-pan.

C is the rod that supports and actuates the inner edges of the pans.

In Fig. l I have shown one pan removed and the other in place to moreplainly illustrate the manner of connecting the actuatingrods C with theactuating-levers D and the pans. The ends of the actuating-rods are bentat right angles to form the bearings d and d, one of which passesthrough an aperture in the lever D, and the other passes through acorresponding aperture inthe end of the pan. The angle-levers D arepivoted to the ends of the case, as at cl, so that the throwing of thefree end around, as indicated by thedotted lines tothe left in Fig. 1,will carry the angle of the lever, and with it the actuating-rod, downfrom the top of the case, and by this means the-inner edge of the pan iscarried toward the floor.

The pan and actuating-rods are held to normal position by the springs F,which are securely attached at one end to the ends of the case and arepivotally attached at the other end to the pan by means of therightangle bearing f, passing through an aperture in the pan between thepoint of contact of the actuating-rods and the outer edge of the pan, sothat its tensile force draws the pan up to a bearing at one edge withthe actuating-rods and at the other end in the rabbeted this being theonly vertical support that is provided for the pans. It is to beunderstood that there is an actuating-rod and a supporting-spring ateach endof each pan, so that the pans are supported alike at both ends.For placing the actuating-rods I run v a saw-kerf c in the ends of thecase of sufficient depth and width to admit the full size of the rod, sothat the rods are wholly secured against lateral movement. By this meansthe pans are held against lateral motion, so that the automatic workingof the inner edges is pivoted from the bearing a on the side of thecase, andthe dumping motion is pivcted from the bearing d on theactuating-rods, and their return to their normal position is insured bythe rebound of the springs F, as hereinbefore suggested.

The angle-levers D are actuated by the lateral or swinging motion of thearms g on the equaliZing-rod G in following manner: The equalizing-rod Gis revolubly secured to the top of the case, as by means of the supportsg, and extends the entire length of the inside of the case; At the endsof the case they are bent down at right angles to form the arms g, whichextend down to the slot h', where it is bent out at right angles withthe arms g and passes through the end of the case bearing a at theedge'of the side of the case,

and far enough beyond to pass into and act as a pivotal support for thehandle-bow II, as at g and 7L. The slot is made sufficiently long togive ample swing to the bearing g' to carry the ,levers D over farenough to give the inner edges of the pans the desired vertical motion,so that the drawing and pushing of the handlein manipulating the sweeperwill alternately throw'the inner edges of the pans to the iioor and therebound of the springs F will return them, and with them the levers D,to their normal position.

The springs F are held to place by the staples f and the end f', whichlatter is bedded in a saw-kerf in the end of the case, as shown in Fig.l.

The equalizing-rod G must be of sufficient rigidity to insure a uniformmotion at both bearings of the handle-bow, so that there will be nopossibilityT of one end of the bow moving and the other standing rigidor one end moving one way and the-other end moving the other way, asoften happens in turning the sweeper while in operation when thisequalizin g-bar is not applied to the sweeper.

lVhile the automatic action of my sweeper is sufficient for allpractical purposes on carpets, I find that by adding an auxiliaryfeature to this end I am enabled to use the sweeper successfully onpolished floors, linoleum, and even on tile floors; but it is of coursenecessary to drop them a trifle lower than it is desirable to drop themfor carpetsweeping, and for this purpose I form my axletrees orwheel-supports upon a springbearing, so that a slight pressure upon thehandle II will force the case, brush, and pans still closer to thefloor.

I construct both axletrees e on a single and continuous rod E, asfollows: The aXletrees c pass out through the ends of the case, and atthe inner surface they are bent at right angles and extend from theapertures K, which are considerably larger, diametrically, than theaxletrees, so that the axletrees may have free vertical motion, to theline of angle E of the side of the case. From here it is bent to liealong this line to near the center of the case, forming torsion-springsof sufficient strength to easily support the case and its attachments.From these points it bends again at right angles and extends up alongthe surface of the inclined portion ofthe case until it reaches theupper angle-line E",along which it lies, forming a continuous bearing ofsuch peculiar form that its tensile force holds it to place without thenecessity of using staples or other means of securingit,thus renderingit much more convenient, less laborious,and less expensive than those inordinary use. The several bends and bearings of this axle-treeattachment may be readily traced through the aid of thereference-letters e, c', c, 6', and em', consecutively.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is-

l. In a carpet-sweeper, a case, pans and wheels; in combination with anequalizingrod revolubly secured to the top of the case, the ends bentdown and out through the ends of the case and engaging the handle-bow asa swinging support and equalizing-bar therefor, substantially as, andfor the purpose set forth.

2. In a carpet-sweeper, avcase, pans, wheels and brush; in combinationwith an equalizing-bar secured longitudinal of the inner surface of thetop of the case, and the ends bent down, and out through slots in theends of the case to form a swinging and equalizing support for thehandle-bow, angle-levers pivoted within the case in position to beactuated by said support, connecting-rods between said angle-levers andthe ends of the pans, the ends of the case grooved to hold saidconnecting-rods, springs secured to the ends of the case with their freeends pivotally connected with the ends of the pans between theconnecting-rods and the outer edge of the pans, said springs arranged toreturn thepans to normal position both from the dropping of the inneredge and the dumping of the outer edge, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In combination with the case, wheels, brush and pans of acarpet-sweeper, an equalizing-bar revolubly secured to the case, theends projecting down and out through slots in the ends of the case toposition to engage the hubs of the handle-bow and form swinging pivotalbearings therefor, actuating levers and rods connecting said swingingarm with the ends of the pans to cause them to recip- IOC recatevertically, and springs for returning l and holding the pans to normalposition, substantially as and for the purpose set forth;

et. In combination, the case, brush, wheels and pans of acarpet-sweeper; withan equalizing-bar revolubly attached to the top ofthe case within, arms projecting down, thence out through slots in theends of the case and engaging the hubs of the handle-bow to form aswinging pivotal support therefor, actuating levers and rods connectingthe swinging arm of the equalizing-bar with the pans to actuate theinner edges thereof, appliances for returning and holding the pans tonormal position, and torsion-spring axletrees for the wheels,substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 5. In a carpet-sweeper,the case,pans,brush and wheels 5 in combination with axletrees formed ofa single wire for cach pair of wheels, said wire having a straightportion at the center that lies along the upper angle-line of the case,thence, at each side, bending down and extending to the lower angle-lineof the case, thence bending out and both portions lying along the saidlower an gle-line of the case and IIO through the ends of the case, andthence ioent at right angles and passing through said openings and toposition to receive the Wheels, all

being so formed that it will retain its position in the case and permitof the Vertical adjustment of the case, substantially as and for the 1opurpose set forth.

Signed at Grand Rapids, Michigan, May l2, 1898.

CHARLES KING.

In presence of- ITHIEL J. CILLEY, JAS. M. CARVER.

